June 2017 Newsletter

Treasurer's Report

Report of the Treasurer to the May Board Meeting for 2016

The beginning balance for the Association was US$1,585,501. This was less than the 1,587,461 budgeted. Declining from the previous year, dues income was $103,963 and below the $120,000 budgeted. Combined payments from Sponsors and Advertisers totalled $119,749 and were under the budgeted $121,000. Journal Sales income was artificially high at $50,730, but still under the budgeted $65,000. There was yet another accounting error on the part of Cambridge University Press (CUP). Their staff used an incorrect Euro to Dollar conversion and overpaid WPSA by $3,342. Income from the World’s Poultry Congress was $49,970 ($50,000 budgeted). Another $2,714 in Miscellaneous Income was received in the final days of 2016. These funds were incorrectly sent to the WPSA Dutch acct, instead of the account for The Netherlands Branch of WPSA. The funds were repaid in 2017. Earnings on investments was $66,517, exceeding the budgeted $40,000. Total income (including investment income) was $393,643 vs the budgeted $396,000.

Expenses associated with the Journal were $93,440 versus the budgeted $133,500. CUP (yes, another error) over-billed us $201 and DHL only billed for mailing one issue of the Journal and failed to invoice for $24,412. The Association’s General Operation costs (including honoraria and tax preparation) were $96,365; lower than the $119,00 budgeted. The cost of Special Programmes (Travel Grants. Branch Development, etc.) was $27,717, once again nowhere utilizing the $90,000 budgeted. All Association expenses totalled $228,148 versus the $352,500 budgeted. The Association’s gain from continuing operations was $98,978, well over the budgeted $3,500.

Due to the aforementioned problems (multiple errors by CUP, failure of DHL to invoice, and Miscellaneous Income that had to be re-directed), our Continuing Operations gain is artificially high. Without these issues, the gain from continuing operations would have been $68,711.

The ending balance on all accounts was $1,790,820 versus $1,601,061 budgeted. The WPSA portfolio at Edward Jones had an unrealized gain of $40,285. In 2016 the WPSA portfolio was up 7.44%, while the S&P index return was 9.5%. As always, it is important to note that the reported Edward Jones performance is net return on a portfolio that is international in its holdings. On the other hand, the S&P 500 is un-costed on strictly American investments. For another comparison, the NASDAQ’s (global and un-costed) rate of return in 2016 was 7.5%, that is, almost identical to that of the return on the WPSA portfolio. However, since the WPSA portfolio gains are net, the portfolio outperformed the NASDAQ.

The Review of the Books Committee has yet to go over the 2016 financial documents. Historically, the review is done at the time of the PSA annual meeting, which this year will not be held until July.

The treasury of the WPSA is robust. The Association is in a position to consider well-designed new initiatives. As always, integral to the financial health is payment of dues by branches and continuing support of our sponsors and advertisers.

Dr Francine Bradley

WG2

ESPN 2017: A warm scientific networking occasion

The 21st European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition (ESPN2017) provided a warm connection between delegates and scientific speakers in Salou/Vila-seca, Spain on May 8-11. Over 1500 delegates from 62 countries attended the event, which was supported by 32 sponsors and 5 media partners. IRTA was the local organizer.
Prior to the symposium, some of the main sponsors organised highly attended seminars, and the WPSA international board and WG2 members had their meetings. This warm-up day ended with the Opening Ceremony in which the organizers Dr A. Sanna Steenfeldt and Dr. J. Brufau, the WPSA representatives Dr. Carlos Garcés, Dr. Birger Svihus, Dr. Ning Yang and the local authorities Mr. Pere Granados Mayor of Salou welcomed the delegates. The Opening Ceremony also included two presentations that provided brief overviews of the history of European poultry nutrition by Dr. Colin Fisher; and, the history of Catalan poultry production by Dr. Marti Pumarola, respectively. Finally, the Hon. Mrs. Meritxell Serret, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food of the Government of Catalonia and President of IRTA, officially opened the Symposium and recognised two professors J. A. Castello, F. Puchal and two farmers Mr. Jordi Roca and A. Artiga for their outstanding contribution to Catalan poultry farming.
The scientific programme consisted of five plenary sessions and one hot topic session. As usual, plenary sessions consisted of three main lectures on specific topics. In this occasion the ESPN topics addressed were: 1) Feed intake, thermoregulation and heat stress; 2) Feeding strategies and gastrointestinal health; 3) Precision Feeding (I); 4) Precision Feeding(II); and 5) Optimized use of feed ingredients. The sustainability of poultry feeding was addressed in the hot topics session.
ESPN2017 received nearly 300 abstracts, of which 25 were selected for oral presentations and the remainder for presentation as posters. Abstracts were classified under seven areas: Feed raw materials (41); Protein and amino acid nutrition (41); Feed additives (75); Feed enzymes (42); Nutrition and gut health (54); Mineral nutrition (17); and, Others (24). The poster sessions were really well attended. Seventeen 17 discussion groups were also arranged with more than twenty delegates each. Many questions were formulated for the plenary discussions, resulting in great interactions between the audience and the speakers.
The ESPN2017 also had a friendly social programme consisting of an initial Get Together party and a Gala Dinner held in a former Bullfighting Arena. As the local organizing team, we have many great memories and this is an experience that we will remember forever. We thank the WG2 and WPSA for their confidence to organize ESPN2017.
Now we pass the relay baton to the Polish local organizers of ESPN2019 with our best wishes, and we will look forward to seeing all of you again in Gdansk.

Joaquim Brufau, President of the Local Organizing Committee, IRTA.

WG3

Breeding & Genetics

10th European Symposium on Poultry Genetics, 26-28 June 2017 in St Malo, France

We are pleased to announce the 10th European Symposium on Poultry Genetics. The Symposium will be held from 26-28 June 2017 in St Malo, France. The symposium is open for registration and abstracts are welcome. Deadline for submission was March 1st, 2017. All accepted abstracts will be presented as posters. Some young scientists (PhD students and postdocs) have been selected to receive free registration by the scientific committee based on their quality and importance of their abstracts. Up to 4 fellowships will be distributed and the winners will present their work orally. The scientific programme will include sessions on the genetics of welfare traits, health and immune system, genomics and diversity, and new breeding technologies in poultry. The scientific contributions from invited speakers and poster presentations will be significant and impactful. For more details, please see: http://www.wpsa.fr/congres/EuropeanPoutryGenetics/Authors.html.

We are looking forward to welcoming you at the next Poultry Genetics Symposium in St. Malo.

On behalf of the organizing committee
Michele Tixier-Boichard
Steffen Weigend

WG4 and WG5

Quality of Poultry Meat and Quality of Eggs and Egg Products

EGGMEAT2017: 23rd European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat and the17th European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products in Edinburgh, 3-5th September 2017.

This joint symposia of working groups 4 (Egg quality) and 5 (Meat quality) of the European federation of the WPSA forms part of the WPSAs mission to support education, organisation and research in the poultry sector. Our exciting programme which covers the key issues affecting egg and meat quality.

Invited speakers: Our current list of invited speakers can be found on the conference website http://eggmeat2017.efconference.co.uk/. 

Abstract submission is now closed and we have received over 100 abstracts.

Reminder - Early bird registration deadline is 01 June 2017: To ensure that you secure affordable accommodation close to the venue we recommend that you complete your registration and book your accommodation as soon as possible. We will be removing booked discounted rooms as an option this month so to make sure they are available to you please don't delay. Full details can be found on the website using this link. https://www.efdelegates.ed.ac.uk/Registration/Welcome.aspx?e=3B7367AD767F58A2C009C1B02A506DDF. 

Conference Dinner and Ceilidh: Remember to book your ticket(s) for our Traditional Scottish Evening when you register.

Sally Solomon memorial poster prize: A prize of £500 will be awarded to the best poster & short oral presenter in memory of the late Prof Sally Solomon’s contribution to the poultry industry.

WG4 and WG5 members meeting: Country representatives of WG4 and WG5 are invited to attend a meeting on Monday 4th September in Edinburgh. Subjects for discussion will include frequency and venue for future meetings. If you are unable to attend please nominate someone to represent your country. Additional topics for inclusion on the agenda should be sent to the chairpersons no later than 1st September 2017 (WG4: ; WG5: ).

Maureen Bain, Chairperson WG4
Massimiliano Petracci, Chairperson WG5

WG6 en WG12

Incubation and Fertility Research Group (IFRG/WPSA Working Group 6) and the Fundamental Physiology and Perinatal Development Group (WPSA Working Group 12)

It is with great pleasure that the organizing group for the 2017 Combined Meeting of these two Working Groups invite you to attend and participate in the meeting. The meeting will take place in Wageningen, The Netherlands, at Hof van Wageningen (www.hofvanwageningen.nl) from August 30 – September 1st 2017.
For further details on this conference, please see our home page www.ifrg.org. The Scientific committee is looking forward to having everyone with interest in these areas participate in this meeting in Wageningen.

Barbara Tzschentke, Chair of the WPSA Working Group 12 (Physiology)

Scientific Committee:
Marleen Boerjan, PasReform, Zeddam, NL, President IFRG (WG 6)
Barbara Tzschentke, HU Berlin, Germany, Chair WG 12
Glenn Baggott, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
Anne Collin-Chenot, INRA, Nouzilly, France

Contact:
Marleen Boerjan (local organization), e-mail: , phone: + 31 314 659140; mobile: +31 622 540 425
Barbara Tzschentke, e-mail: , mobile: +49 1793977793Dr. Marleen Boerjan, President IFRG

WG9

Poultry Welfare and Management

The main event in 2017 will be the X Symposium to be held in Ploufragan (Brittany, France) from June 19-22 organized by the French Branch of WPSA and ISPAIA Zoopole in collaboration with the WG9.
The programme will address the classic themes of the working group as on field welfare monitoring and feather pecking and more current issues that look to the future as PLF for behavioral assessment and Poultry production sustainability and consumer perception.
More than 120 abstracts have been reviewed by the Scientific committee and more than 200 people all over the world will attend the Symposium. The French Branch of WPSA organized also social events and technical tours.
For more information please visit the website of the Symposium http://www.poultrywelfare2017.com.

Valentina Ferrante

Sri Lanka

A proposal was received to start a website and to establish a databse of the whole poultry sector in Sri Lanka.
They will start with the website development. Preliminary consultative meetings with stakeholders and review of the existing data with the government departments is scheduled for May-June 2017.

Summaries

A concise review of poultry vaccination and future implementation of plant-based vaccines

N. SHAHID, A.Q. RAO, P.E. KRISTEN, M.A. ALI, B. TABASSUM, S. UMAR, S. TAHIR, A. LATIF, A. AHAD, A.A. SHAHID and T. HUSNAIN

Every year the growth of the poultry industry is severely threatened by a number of infectious viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases. There are a number of vaccines to control these diseases including inactivated virus vaccines, attenuated virus vaccines, live virus vaccines, and subunit vaccines, but they are often relatively expensive and require cold storage and trained people to administer them, especially in developing countries. Plant-based vaccines provide a better option to control these diseases in low profit margin poultry industry. Still there are some challenges in the field of plant-based, so called ‘green’ vaccines. Injection-based oral priming is a big challenge for commercialisation of green vaccines so, new techniques are needed in the field of plant-based vaccine to pass these barriers for commercialisation. This discusses the potential for plant-based vaccines and whether they are good option to control poultry diseases.

Silymarin: a potent hepatoprotective agent in poultry industry

M. SAEED, D. BABAZADEH, M. ARIF, M.A. ARAIN, Z.A. BHUTTO, A.H. SHAR, M.U. KAKAR, R. MANZOOR and S. CHAO

Silymarin is composed of flavonolignans and derived from the dry seed of milk thistle (Silybummarianum) herb. It is used as a hepatoprotective treatment for different liver ailments, mainly cirrhosis, jaundice, growth promotant, alcoholic liver disease, chronic hepatitis C, chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. Reported medicinal properties are anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, low toxicity, promising pharmacokinetics, protective, preventive, regenerative and antifibrotic effects and has been shown to be extremely safe. The mode of action by which silymarin might protect liver cells includes stabilisation of membranes, free radical scavenging, stimulation of hepatocyte protein synthesis and modulation of the immune response. In addition, silymarin can be used to treat jaundice disorders by ameliorating the levels of various hepatic enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Moreover, silymarin is able to moderate the immune system, by boosting IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-10. The hepatoprotective effect of silymarin in poultry farming is poorly understood, although it may be used as a cheap, non-toxic and safe feed additive to manage liver related disorders and to replace synthetic drugs in poultry diets. Hence, this review will allow scientists, veterinarians, researchers, poultry producers to gain a pragmatic edge as well as perspective usage of Silymarin. A main priority is in finding the effective level in poultry whereby it acts as a natural liver tonic in the poultry industry and could reduce veterinary expenses.

Neuroimmunomodulation and heat stress in poultry

A.S. CALEFI, W.M. QUINTEIRO-FILHO, A.J.P. FERREIRA and J. PALERMO-NETO

The intensification of poultry production has favoured the occurrence of stressful such as infections, decreased feed intake, reduced feed conversion and carcass condemnation are some of the consequences of stress in birds. This stress is a consequence of the neuroendocrine-immune interplay. Neuroimmunomodulation is the scientific study of the bidirectional relation of the immune and nervous systems, i.e., physiological effects in response to exposure of animals to stressful conditions. Stress is responsible for activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which results in the production and release of corticosterone and catecholamines. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that the brain-gut-microbiota axis is responsible for the maturation and maintenance of the balance of the immune and nervous systems, which ensures improvement in the productive system. This review presents and discusses information concerning neuroimmunomodulation in birds with an emphasis on the involvement of heat stress.

Progress in Chlamydia psittaci vaccine development in poultry

A.M.M. QUILICOT, Ž. GOTTSTEIN, D. HORVATEK TOMIĆ and E. PRUKNER-RADOVČIĆ

Chlamydia psittaci, depending on its serovar, can infect humans, birds, and other animals and livestock. Its economic impact on poultry production, especially on turkeys and chickens, and potential zoonotic risk have driven the search for an effective vaccination protocol to prevent and control the infection and shedding of the organism. Currently, no vaccine is approved for use against avian chlamydiosis despite efforts in the past decades. The present genomic era presents an opportunity to establish an effective vaccination scheme, taking advantage of the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) as the major protective antigen of C. psittaci. The plasmid DNA expressing MOMP can be coupled with optimisation of controllable factors during vaccination such as codon optimisation (through formation of polyplexes and lipoplexes), route of administration, vaccination schedule, addition of adjuvants/co-stimulatory factors such as cytokines and CpG motifs, and recombination with other poultry pathogens such as viruses. The development of an effective vaccine against C. psittaci will protect susceptible poultry from infection and production performance losses and reduce the zoonotic risk and minimise the emergence of antibiotic-resistant C. psittaci strains.

Compliance with the World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines for poultry production in Grenada

L. GLASGOW, M. FORDE, S. FLETCHER and E. KEKU

The tri-island state of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petit Martinique’s legislative and institutional compliance with the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE) guidelines on antimicrobial utilisation in poultry production is reviewed in this paper. This includes legislative and other institutional documents, coupled with interviews with veterinary officers, health officers and managers of the veterinary drug distribution centres were conducted to evaluate the extent of Grenada’s compliance with the OIE’s Terrestrial Animal Health Code in the use of antimicrobials in poultry production. Five thematic areas were evaluated: 1) legislative and institutional arrangements; 2) surveillance and reporting; 3) risks associated with the importation of poultry meat products; 4) ante- and post-mortem inspection; and 5) procurement and use of antimicrobials. The information revealed that the current legislative framework in Grenada does not adequately address poultry food safety and that there is a need to strengthen the synergies between the agricultural and health sectors to enable a more thorough monitoring of antimicrobials use in poultry production. There is a need to strengthen epidemiology of zoonotic diseases, provisioning of education and information for key stakeholders about the use of antibiotics and the development of a system to monitor antibiotic procurement, distribution and use in Grenada. These findings have implications for other small island states in the Caribbean that have similar limitations in institutional capacity and knowledge deficits in the prudent use of antibiotics.

Recent advances in sunflower seed meal as an alternate source of protein in broilers

Y.A. DITTA and A.J. KING

Broiler production in certain countries often suffers from an inadequate supply of local high-quality protein. Increased production of sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.) for oil can provide more meal that can provide protein and offset the need for soybean meal, which is often unavailable due to cost. Presently, due to adaptive capabilities in various climatic and soil conditions, sunflower seeds are grown worldwide. Sunflower seed meal (SFSM), a by-product from oil production for human consumption, varies in quality due to variations in oil extraction methods, seed varieties and processing techniques. However, investigators reported that SFSM can replace up to two thirds of the soybean meal protein in the starter and finisher diets of broilers. This review includes the quality of SFSM as related to the effect of processing and as a feed ingredient in broilers diets.

HPAI impacts on Chinese chicken meat supply and demand

Z. HUANG, A. LOCH, C. FINDLAY and J. WANG

Chicken meat is an economically important part of Chinese food security, but has suffered relatively consistent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks since 2004. This review evaluates the extent of quantity losses caused by HPAI events on Chinese chicken meat supply and demand (domestic production, consumption, imports and exports) between 2004 and 2013, using a partial equilibrium model. The largest losses were experienced in 2004 and 2005 (4,496,700 tons) which accounted for 38.84% and 33.76% of total respectively. Across the full review period the largest impacts were on per capita consumption (2.7 million tons) followed by production (2.5 million tons), imports (0.73 million tons) and exports (0.21 million tons). Research suggests that higher imports of chicken meat during HPAI events, branding strategies and investment in food safety management through the sector may help to avoid or minimise future HPAI losses in China.

Anti-aflatoxin activities of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) in broiler

I.A. ALHIDARY, Z. REHMAN, R.U. KHAN and M. TAHIR

Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites of structurally diverse groups occurring worldwide as contaminants of cereals such as wheat, corn, maize, peanut, and barley, which comprise the main ingredients of poultry diets. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) has wide range of beneficial properties, including data showing its positive effects in protecting the liver of birds exposed to aflatoxins. Trials have shown that in broilers affected by aflatoxicosis, which adversely affected feed intake, weight gain, feed efficiency, serum biochemistry and immune status, supplementation of diets with silymarin reduced the detrimental effects, thereby improving the productivity and health. Although promising results have been reported, established doses and further research on the standardisation of this herb will increase its uses as alternative to synthetic drugs. The following review discusses several important aspects of the beneficial properties of milk thistle on poultry growth performance in experimentally induced aflatoxicosis.

Emergence of new sub-genotypes of Newcastle disease virus in Pakistan

S. UMAR

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) was first reported in 1926. Since then, the NDV has been prevalent in domestic and wild birds representing a diverse and continually evolving group of viruses, consisting one genotype for class I NDV isolates and eighteen genotypes for class II NDV isolates. The emergence of new virulent genotypes from global epizootics and the year-to-year changes observed in the genomic sequence of NDV of low and high virulence implies that distinct genotypes of NDV are simultaneously evolving at different geographic locations across the globe. This vast genomic diversity may be favoured by the large variety of avian species susceptible to NDV infection and by the availability of highly mobile wild bird reservoirs. In certain countries such as Pakistan, the viruses of sub-genotype VIIi have replaced NDV isolates of genotype XIIIa, which were commonly isolated in 2009–2011, and have become the predominant sub-genotype causing ND outbreaks since 2012, suggesting the existence of a fifth panzootic. The genomic diversity of NDV increases the possibility of diagnostic failures, resulting in unidentified infections. Therefore, continuous monitoring of viral evolution and periodic updates of vaccine seed strains are warranted to achieve efficient control and eradication of ND. This review reports on the emergence and evolution of ND viruses and vaccination strategy in Pakistan.

Dendritic cell harmonised immunity to poultry pathogens: a review

Z. UR REHMAN, S. UMAR, C. MENG, Z. ULLAH, F. RIAZ, S. UR REHMAN and C. DING

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (APCs) with the unique ability to induce both innate immune responses and a highly specific acquired immunity. DCs are crucial to induce immunity, and their maturation and functions are influenced by microbial and environmental stimuli. Chicken DCs are composed of several subtypes including bursal secretory dendritic cells (BSDCs), follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), and thymic dendritic cells (TDCs). DC maturation depends on the nature of the perturbation and permits unique and efficient immune responses for each pathogen. DCs differentially recognise the viruses, bacteria, parasite and fungi and specifically regulate the immune response. Dendritic cells (DCs) are ‘nature’s adjuvants’ and, as such represent an essential component of any vaccination strategy. The understanding of DC regulatory mechanisms opens a new horizon for the development of new vaccines and their targeting with the vaccination for elicitation of better immunity levels. The following review summarises the current state of knowledge of DCs and their specific functions during host pathogens interaction.

Beneficial uses of dandelion herb (Taraxacum officinale) in poultry nutrition

S. QURESHI, S. ADIL, M.E. ABD EL-HACK, M. ALAGAWANY and M.R. FARAG

Dandelion or Taraxacum officinale is a well-known medicinal plant that grows naturally in Europe, North and South America and Asia. Dandelion is a source of various nutrients and biologically active substances and its root and leaves contain vitamins (A, K, C and B-complex), minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron), micronutrients, fibre, lecithin and choline. The various parts of the plant have a long history of use as an herbal remedy; roots of this herb are firstly considered for enhancing digestion. Also, the roots are generally used for as liver tonic by stimulating bile production and removing toxins and re-establishing hydration and electrolyte balance. Dandelion leaves could be used successfully as digestive stimulant and diuretic. Moreover, dandelion leaves were reported to improve growth and productive performance of poultry. Several beneficial effects have been reported on intestinal mucosa regarding architecture of villi, villus height/ crypt depth ratio as well as cellular infiltration. Dandelion has many properties like immunomodulator, digestive stimulant, prebiotic, insulin stimulant, anti-inflammation, antiangiogenic, antineoplastic and demulcent. Furthermore, dandelion treats indigestion and hepatitis B infection as well as enhances metabolise androgenic hormones. Because of the scarcity of in vivo studies on dandelion, further investigations are needed to confirm its benefits and efficacy.

The immune-genes regulation mediated mechanisms of probiotics to control salmonella infection in chicken

M. ROYAN

Probiotics are live microorganisms with confirmed beneficial effects on poultry health, growth performance, immune system and gut microbial population. A better perception of the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effects of probiotic bacteria is usually needed to give a superior direction to the development and administration of probiotics. The oral administration of probiotic bacteria influence host cytokine levels and therefore, alters both innate and adaptive host immune responses. Selected probiotics, including some lactobacillus isolates and enterococcal strains, have been considered to prevent salmonella colonisation. Part of the effect of probiotic bacteria may be mediated through changes in the immune system related genes, including cytokine expression. Administration of probiotics in chickens could moderate salmonella mediated changes in genes, including encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines, T helper (Th) 1 cytokines, and Th2 cytokines. This review summarises the findings on the mechanisms of salmonella inhibition by using probiotic bacteria at the molecular level.

Emulsifiers in poultry industry: a review

F.A. SIYAL, D. BABAZADEH, C. WANG, M.A. ARAIN^,, M. SAEED, T. AYASAN, L. ZHANG and T. WANG

Emulsifiers are used in poultry nutrition for improving poultry performance, digestibility of the nutrients, especially fats, and include soy-lecithin, milk derived casein, lysophatidylcholine or lysolecithin (lecithin), bile salt, glycerol polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (E 484), and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) etc. The efficacy of emulsifying agents can be used with different vegetable oils and various levels of metabolisable energy (ME). The literature shows that the selection of various natural and synthetic sources of emulsifiers should be on the basis of their hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB). There are new directions regarding exogenous and natural emulsifying agents, their blends in poultry diet and importance of in vitro studies. The following review includes comparisons of emulsifying agents and their impact on performance in poultry.

Mast cells and innate immunity: master troupes of the avian immune system

Z. UR REHMAN, C. MENG, S. UMAR, K.M. MAHROSE, C. DING and M. MUNIR

Mast cells (MCs) are granulated cells of haematopoietic lineage and constitute a major sensory arm of the immune system. MCs dually guard hosts and regulate immune responses against invading pathogens. This property of the MCs is attributed to their adaptability to detect stress signals and pathogens, and the production of signal specific mediators to engage immune cells for clearance of infectious agents. Pathogen-specific signals establish basis for the initiation of adoptive immune responses. These immune regulatory roles of MCs have opened avenues to engage different MCs activators which culminate in effective passive immunisation. The molecular mechanisms and dynamics of functionalities of MCs in host defences have been extensively characterised in mammals and rodents, and research on MCs in avian species is emerging. This review surveys the development, morphology and distribution of MCs in different tissues of the poultry and highlight areas that can be exploited for disease control and prevention.

Use of acetylsalicylic acid as a feed additive in poultry nutrition

M. ALAGAWANY, M.R. FARAG, M.E. ABD EL-HACK, K. DHAMA and J. FOWLER

Salicylate plays an important role as a non-steroid, anti-inflammatory drug. In poultry, those used most commonly are sodium salicylate (SS) and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), due to their immunomodulatory, analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Other effects have been reported such as minimising the effects of heat stress, allostatic load, ascites, leg disorders, reducing respiratory and digestive disorders, as well as enhancing growth performance, feed utilisation, nutrient digestion and absorption, egg production and the quality of meat and eggs. Furthermore, ASA plays a key role in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides in blood, meat and eggs, and improvements in immune functions and antioxidant enzymes have been noted in birds. This paper reviews the different characteristics and beneficial applications of ASA in poultry nutrition for improving immunity, production, and safeguarding health, especially under heat stress conditions.

The effect of bee pollen in chicken diet

P. HAŠČÍK, A. PAVELKOVÁ, M. BOBKO, L. TREMBECKÁ, I.O.E. ELIMAM and M. CAPCAROVÁ

Bee products, including bee pollen, offer a potential alternative to in-feed antibiotics (AGPs) currently used in poultry feed. Bee pollen is a new type of feed additives and is characterised by a variety of nutritional and bioactive properties. It may enhance the immunity of poultry, promote animal growth, protect the intestinal tract health and improve the quality and safety of animal products. Various research papers have focused on the use of bee pollen in poultry feeds, and have reported that it is, as a natural feed additive, a promising alternative to antibiotics and coccidiostats. Most papers have focussed on doses of 400 or 800 mg/kg feed, however limited dose response work has been done. Effective dose rates, dose responses and standardised products need to be established. If such consistent products can be produced, then their efficacy in terms of meat performance, carcass traits, meat quality, immunity, and blood parameters of broiler chickens can be verified, along with costs and returns on investment for producers, to establish the usefulness as an alternative to AGPs.

A review of β-glucans as a growth promoter and antibiotic alternative against enteric pathogens in poultry

M.I. ANWAR, F. MUHAMMAD, M.M. AWAIS and M. AKHTAR

The emergence of microbial challenges in commercial poultry farming causes significant economic losses. Vaccination is effective in preventing diseases of single aetiology while antibiotics have an advantage over vaccination in controlling diseases of multiple aetiologies. As the occurrence of antibiotic resistance is a serious problem, there is increased pressure on producers to reduce antibiotic use in poultry production. Therefore, it is essential to use alternative substances to cope with microbial challenges in commercial poultry farming. This review will focus on the role of β-glucans originating from yeast cell wall (YCW) as a growth promoter and antibiotic alternative. β-glucans have the ability to modulate the intestinal morphology by increasing the number of goblet cells, mucin expression and cells expressing secretory IgA (sIgA) with increased sIgA in the intestinal lumen and decreased bacterial translocation to different organs. β-glucans also increase the gene expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins which maintain the integrity of the intestinal wall in broiler chickens. However, further studies are required to optimise the dosage and source of β-glucans to determine effects on growth performance and mechanisms against enteric pathogens.

Paper submission

All submissions to the journal will be through ScholarOne Manuscripts at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/wpsj or via the WPSA website. Authors must log in and follow the instructions on screen in order to ensure their paper will be processed quickly and efficiently.
Although most authors are familiar with this kind of submission system, for those who aren’t, please make sure your manuscript strictly adheres to the guidelines given in the instructions. The WPSJ does not charge for publishing papers (except if colour pictures are required), and continues to make every effort to keep the costs of publication to a minimum. However, please be aware that papers which are not reviews or are incorrectly formatted may incur costs that will be charged back to the submitting author (approximately US$20).